Transcript of the speech of the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, the French community of the Vatican, Italy

MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English – Published on June 28, 2018

ONLY THE SPOKEN VERSION SHALL BE AUTHENTIC

Vatican – Tuesday 26 June 2018

It is extremely intimidating, thank you… thank you dear friends for your hospitality. And I am very happy that we met in this place a little special. Find Me before you today, it is recorded a time a little apart, and a visit to a little on the side. And be able to return to the ecclesiastical community French this here, at the Vatican, it is also to share a bit of this singularity. And I do it at a time, at the end of this journey, which is perhaps – I don’t underestimate – a torture for some of you since we are at the beginning of the match of the France team in this World, the moment I begin to express myself in front of you, the 19èmeminute was almost in the process of opening, there was still 0 to 0, and bad language were telling me ” with a slight Danish domination “. On this topic, it is allowed to have bad faith. We will therefore be qualified, but, I hope, in the best conditions, and as soon after this ceremony, we will be able to see the second one at least half-time.

I thank you in any case have been present for this ceremony, and to be in this basilica, whose first foundations date back to the Fourth century, of which we have recalled at the moment, with His Excellency and the canon that brought us the friendship of this tour, the importance and the status a little in the Church.

And it was also the occasion to remember the status a little on the side, or the link a little part of France with the catholic Church. And I thank the entire delegation that has accompanied me, of course, the minister of State, minister of the Interior, and therefore in charge of religious affairs, minister of European and foreign Affairs, our parliamentarians and the whole of the delegation who have agreed, since this morning, be at my side.

I want to link a bit particular. And this link is a little particular and everything all at once, the fruit of our history, we have had the opportunity to recall any at the time, is perfectly compatible with contemporary France as we know it. Because the history of France that the Republic has built its adventure a bit special with all religions, but I would say, specifically with the catholic Church. The separation of Church and State, it is the recognition of a temporal order and a spiritual order. It is the recognition that there are on political affairs, a specificity complete, that the political order is established, that the laws are only decided by those who represent the sovereignty of the people

And thus, French secularism, which sometimes, is a mystery – we have spoken at length this morning with His Holiness pope Francis – it is not the fight against a religion ! This is a contradiction ! It is a law of freedom, secularism. It is the freedom to believe and not to believe, and it is, therefore, the possibility for each individual to believe resolutely, absolutely, and I do not have to qualify or to be in the know, as head of State. It is to be in his religion, provided that each and every one, whatever his religion, his philosophical belief – or not – is fully in the Republic for affairs of the. And this is why, I believe very deeply that this particular link that was France, with the catholic Church is compatible, including the ceremony we just experienced, with the separation of Church and State.

Secularism, it would not be a prudishness contemporary, which would be to say “don’t talk to me about religion” ! “Hide the religion “, or “this belief that I could not see” ! It is everywhere in society ! And we have anthropologically, ontologically, metaphysically necessary. Some fill this need in philosophical convictions, on the other, in a agnosticism claimed. But it is there. And so the presence, my presence here with all the members of the delegation, and the fact of being present at this ceremony and in this place many centuries of history with you bears witness to this ” at the same time claimed “.

The second thing that made my satisfaction to have you at my side and speak to you today, is that I believe that no one built anything solid in a world in upheaval deep, where the changes are radical, regardless of the subjects, whether they are technological, economic, societal, geopolitical – look at the world we live in : everything is upside down , all the benchmarks in which we think we live and that we believe intangibles are deeply struck -, we cannot advance if we don’t know where we come from and what our roots are deep, our traditions, with their stories ! And so the particular link that there is between the French Republic and the Vatican, it is part of this story. It is a part of the history of France, of which he was made, from its base, from its origins, it is not exclusive ! It has changed over time, including through the political struggles, the laws, the ones that I recalled at the moment. But forget his roots or do not want to see them, it is in any case will pretty much ensure that you can’t look at the present and her troubles with the force that made us.

We can accept many things, we can think of a lot of things and have a brave action, you just need to know where we come from and what has made us

And when we talk about all the topics that make people angry – what we did this morning with His Holiness the pope, of the laws of bioethics that happen in France, relations between religions, the subject of migrants, issues of geopolitical concern to us -there is a need to every time do that by holding the tension between our contemporary history and our traditions, knowing also what has made us, by knowing our agreements and our disagreements, but by seeking what is non-negotiable in what we made. And what is non-negotiable we have in common : the consideration for the person and the dignity of each individual, the commitment to respect the rights as an absolute, and a certain taste for the universal.

There are few places like the Vatican where we think of the world and where everyone is summoned. But there are a few countries such as France, where we pretend to think the world, and where the whole world is also called. We have shared these few principles, and in those moments where anything could tip us towards a retreat, doubt, disconnection, and resentment, know that there are non-negotiable in our principles, I believe, is essential. And I say this with not the slightest naivety and knowing the country’s daily that today I am to preside, and that the government administers. His Holiness pope Francis, on several occasions, has recognized this path difficultueux. We do not speak of these principles as being in the ethers ! No ! They are of course difficult every day, because they are pushed every day by the violence of contemporary inequities that we live and it’s this art of the caution that goes with the art of governing.

The art of the caution which he has spoken several times, caution, this is not be patched in the refusal of the world, or the desire not to see or not to touch : it is the reverse. This is the humility which consists in knowing that, while remaining deeply attached to its principles, we know that it is necessary to accept the part of the real, the fears, the flaws, the paths difficultueux. But one thing is to want and to act with humility, knowing that it does not quite everyone, but by knowing the cape, another is to want to go back on these principles. Today, it is this struggle that swept our Europe.

And so by being present in front of you today, I am aware of being in this dialogue a little… singular which has made our history and that we had this morning with His Holiness pope Francis, the one who is the fruit of a series of tensions, a fruitful, open dialogue, frank, that we had, and a deep friendship. This tension between tradition and modernity contemporary, this tension between the principles in which we believe and on which we do composerons ever, that unite France and the Vatican, and the contemporary problems, doubts, fears, which embrace our people.

In the time that we live, not to maintain these tensions is to commit an error. And this is why this dialogue is, in my eyes, if important. It is to choose principles without hands, the small entity, or it is to choose the waiver of our values, cynicism or violence. I believe that there is a path that, on the strength of our values, is to embrace the real, grab it, try to correct every day a little, being aware that this correction every day is never sufficient, but that there is a way.

And in this dialogue is unique as there is between the French Republic, France and the Vatican, it is also the dialogue between the imperfections of day-to-day of the art of governing, and a spirituality that accompanies every catholic. And we need this dialogue then

We are here in a place, and we saw a few moments ago, the statue of Henri IV, who recognized the conversion of a king and his desire for reconciliation at a time when everything was fractured in Europe, and especially in France. All the world suspected, he was told that it was impossible, his closest advisers told him that it was a fool to do so. He did, and the heart – the heart ! – of the Church. At the heart of the heart, in not only the oldest but the largest of the churches of Europe, he was given this title, I recalled the story. And he gave this title to him, which was not the best of catholics ! That was not the best example ! Whose names have accompanied the life, manifesting something that does not totally encompass the idea that one can make of such a status ! Precisely because he has assumed this tension at the time it was made. Because with the Edict of Nantes, with the choice of this reconciliation, he did for France and for Europe at the time ! The choice to recognize a part of the traditions that were his kingdom, and accept the historical imbalance, ethics, personnel of his situation.

In moments of tragic history, we only live in imbalance, and in the dialogue we have to engage, in particular with the catholic Church, it is a dialogue of imbalance fruitful, instability loved that should be preserved. Its two legs are never quite the same

We will have a lot of time intranquilles in front of us, and we have not chosen. The evolution of the society is made, which at this time is a challenge for Europe, because it is a political crisis and a challenge for Europe, the great migration crisis that we know through both the Mediterranean, the Balkans and Spain, it is the inquiry which is made to ourselves, how we think, how we think of our history and our future, and what place we want to give to another in this project. Neither more nor less.

I will pass still a lot of days, nights and months to find technical solutions with my colleagues, for this problem, but at the bottom, the essential question is this : it does not resolve nor in the dilution absolute of what we are, nor in the absolute rejection of the other, but in a way that we will need to find if we want Europe to take.

The doubts that our societies have in front of the technological changes, the transformations, the more societal, are there. And they needed a part to know what is the grammar basics that we want to continue to enforce, and also to recognize the share of each in the company. Climate change, technological – I will not be exhaustive – today, all of these topics are subjects that we cannot and will not be treated as simple, naïve, immediate. They will maintain this imbalance, shift, this discomfort.

So Ladies and Gentlemen, you are here with a part of France, in a place of a little individual in the world, and in these times that open, with a responsibility without a doubt a bit special. I hope that France, in these moments of doubt, plays its role, that it plays its part : to be a country that always had to report to the universal that I mentioned a moment ago, and that we try to make our response to these contemporary challenges. Because we have a little of the world with us, and when we do not provide these answers, we do not know how to live with ourselves. I put all of my energy, the government, all parliamentarians, too, it is necessary to look at things with humility, we do not address them, but we will try to find a path and move forward.

In these moments, your presence here is extremely important. First to wear a bit of this message and of this ambition French, here, at the Vatican, but also to continue the dialogue, exchange, debate, discussion, common path. Because we cannot, in these coming times, to choose silence or to accept the misunderstandings. It takes a little time sometimes, but we get there

France has experienced in recent months and recent years. Catholics in France have been able to pursue this path difficultueux. Just do not fall into doubt or retreat. After the terrible attack and the killing of the Father HAMEL, catholics have been exemplary

These are some of the beliefs are fragmentary, imperfect, and beyond the text that I was done but I don’t have any follow-up, so I’m not going to repeat, but I wanted to deliver it to you after this day, dense, very strong and for me very moving, and the exchanges that I have had.

But you have so, each and every one, a little of that mandate. And does the mésestimez not. In addition to your tasks, here, in your qualities, your functions, I ask you a little bit to bring this message to France and to continue, to maintain the necessary dialogue between us. I count on you for this and I thank you for being there and continue. I will come back, you have understood, but we will continue to walk together.

I will not be long, I’ve spent some time with you, and I want to both thank you for your presence, to thank our ambassador for all the work done for the organization of this visit, thank you also, Madame, and thank all of the delegation who accompanied me and who is coming to your meeting, but also all those who welcomed us to this place in charge both of history and of spirituality. Thank you very much !

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Please accept our apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure is not be perfect.